Nothing can ruin a nice evening outdoors like those pesky mosquitoes. The good news is that you can repel and prevent those painful & itchy bites without resorting to harsh chemicals. You can make your own homemade essential oil bug repellent and get rid of those mosquito bites once and for all.

In this post, I’ll share with you:

• the most effective oils (EOs) against bugs
• how to make your own natural bug spray
• our family’s essential oil bug repellent recipe

Don’t let the bugs spoil the fun of family cookouts. By the end of this post, you’ll be well prepared to enjoy the great outdoors worry free.

Heads Up: this post contains affiliate links. While I earn a few nickels for every purchase, the information presented here is based on the research and my personal experience/knowledge.

Essential Oil Bug Repellent

Promising Research

People have used many different essentials oils as natural mosquito repellents for quite some time. Many of them are now being studied to determine their efficacy as natural bug repellents and measure their ability to help us get rid of mosquito bites.

There are 3 specific oils that may be the most promising according to the research.

Lemon Eucalyptus

A refined version of Lemon Eucalyptus oil is actually registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency as an approved natural insect repellent and is endorsed by CDC for use in disease endemic areas. This version is often referred to as oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD(p-menthane-3,8-diol).

For homemade use, we can use Lemon Eucalyptus oil to get a similar benefit. Of course, the pure oil is not registered with the EPA as it does not provide the same long-lasting effects. However, it does possess its own insect repelling properties.

*Note: Lemon Eucalyptus oil is not the same thing as combining lemon and eucalyptus oils. It’s a separate oil on its own (known as Eucalyptus citriodora or Corymbia citriodora).

Citronella

Citronella is perhaps the most common and popular essential oil bug repellent. I have used this oil for many years with great success, so I can personally attest to the value of citronella. While it’s mostly used to naturally repel mosquitos, it can also offer protection against ticks as well.

Citronella (as well as geranium) can also be burned or diffused around you to help get rid of mosquito bites. However, know that burning/diffusing has only been found to reduce bites by about 50%, which is still pretty good in my book.

Catnip

According to researchers from Iowa State University, catnip essential oil can be 10 times more effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes. Incidentally, this came from the same team the discovered catnip can also repel cockroaches.

The study only compared one species of mosquitoes, but they believe it can also be effective for all types of mosquitoes. Catnip is also a registered ingredient with the EPA’s skin-applied repellents.

Catnip is not the cheapest of essential oils, so I would suggest buying a premade blend such as Nature’s Shield.

*If you want to dive deeper into the research, check the references at the end of this article.

The Best Essential Oils For Bugs

While the 3 oils listed above have promising results, that does not discount all the other essential oils that can help protect us from mosquitoes, fleas, and even ticks too.

There are quite a few oils that have bug repelling properties, and you will find many of these essential oils in commercial products both natural and not so natural.

Any of the 20 oils listed below would make nice additions to your own homemade essential oil bug repellent.

Top 20 Essential Oils For Mosquitoes

1. Basil
2. Bergamot
3. Catnip
4. Cedarwood
5. Citronella
6. Clove
7. Eucalyptus
8. Geranium
9. Grapefruit
10. Lavender
11. Lemon
12. Lemon Eucalyptus
13. Lemongrass
14. Orange
15. Patchouli
16. Peppermint
17. Pine
18. Rosemary
19. Tea Tree
20. Thyme

Use your favorites:

You can swap out any of the oils in my recipe with your favorite oils from the list above. However, it is a good idea to use a few different oils. Different oils are more effective at deterring different species of biting and flying insects.

For instance, in my recipe, I added citronella & clove because of its ability to repel both mosquitoes and ticks. Lemongrass has been shown to repel annoying house flies and is safe for kids.

I would definitely recommend you use one of the 3 “promising essential oils” (lemon eucalyptus, citronella, or catnip) as your main EO.

My Essential Oil Bug Repellent Recipe

40 Drops Citronella
40 Drops Lemongrass
20 Drops Clove
1-2 tsp Vegetable Glycerin
1-2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 – 1 Cup  Everclear (or high proof alcohol)

Directions:
In a glass spray bottle, (like this one)

• Add essential oils, glycerin, and vanilla extract.
• Add alcohol and shake thoroughly to combine.
• Spray on clothing and/or skin before heading outside

Make Your Own Essential Oil Bug Repellent:

Key Ingredients

Of course, your essential oils (EOs) are the most important ingredient in your DIY Bug repellent. However, you can’t simply apply the oils directly on your skin.

In fact, you really should never use EOs at full strength as it can trigger severe allergic reactions, burns, or skin irritations. For this reason, you need what is called “a carrier”.

The Carrier

You have a few different options when considering the type of carrier to use. You’ll want to use a different carrier for specific uses. For example oils, such as olive or coconut can be used for homemade lotions, salves.

Bug Cream or Lotion?

If your plan is to create a bug repellent lotion or cream, then use a carrier oil. I would recommend you use an organic soybean oil. This is the first and only time you will ever hear me recommend soybean oil. (I’ll tell you why later) However, any healthy oil in your kitchen should work fine.

Essential Oil Bug Spray

If you would rather create a bug spray, an oil won’t really work for that. Your best bet here is to use a higher proof alcohol like Everclear, or even rubbing alcohol. You may want to add a little aloe as alcohol can be very drying to the skin.

Why Not Just Add Water?

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “oil and water don’t mix”. This is true for essential oils too. You cannot simply add a few drops of oil to water because the oils will not be distributed in the bottle. They will just sit there in one large droplet, and that’s why you want to use one of the liquid carriers above. The oils will mix well with alcohol, vinegar, or witch hazel.

Here’s The Catch

Essential oils are fantastic at repelling bugs. Unfortunately, they are highly volatile and evaporate and/or lose their potency quickly once applied. An oil, by itself, will typically only offer protection for about 20 minutes or so.

Don’t worry. There are a few easy additions to your recipe that will drastically improve the longevity of your essential oil bug repellent.

Make Your Essential Oil Bug Repellent Last Longer

Vanilla extract and Vegetable Glycerin are two items you probably already have in your kitchen, and they can dramatically improve your homemade bug spray. Simply add a teaspoon of each and the effectiveness increases from 20 minutes up to 6 hours.

Soybean oil has also been shown to improve longevity by another 5-10% as well, which is why I recommended you use it for your homemade creams/lotions earlier. Just make sure you are using a non-GMO soy. (preferably organic)

Precautions:

Using with Children

Most EOs are safe to use with kids when diluted with a carrier. Most experts will tell you never to apply an undiluted oil directly to a child’s skin. It’s a good idea to test your DIY bug spray before applying all over. Apply a small amount to your child’s arm, and wait a few minutes. If no reaction, you are probably good to go.

Use the following oils cautiously with children: eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, and wintergreen.

If you would prefer to use a premade EO blend that is already “Kid Safe”, you can try Shield Me by Plant Therapy. This blend is formulated for kids ages 2-10 and does not contain any oils that we would normally worry about for our young children.

Photosensitivity

Some EOs can make your skin more sensitive the sunlight. If you’re planning to be outside early or in the middle of the day, I’d omit any of the EOs in the citrus family like lemon, orange, grapefruit, bergamot…etc. However, these should be fine to use at night to help prevent and get rid of mosquito bites.

Always Use Glass

Undiluted essential oils can eat through plastic. When mixing and storing your homemade essential oil bug repellent, always use a dark glass bottle (like this one).

Where to Buy Essential Oils

I have been a Young Living Oil fan for years now, but I switched to a new company that offers an equally great product, but for a much lower cost. (click here to see why I left Young Living) The name of this company is Plant Therapy. They offer high quality product, and all of their oils go through third party testing to ensure their purity.

As an added benefit, they offer FREE SHIPPING to US residents. Not only is it free, but most of their orders come in 2 days. Now, that’s Amazon Prime Fast!

Standard disclaimer:
Remember, I’m simply a Dad. The content presented is for informational purposes and should not be considered medical advice.

References/Further Reading

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17512681
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3059459/
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRepublish_355524.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16041723
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010828075659.htm
https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/skin-applied-repellent-ingredients